1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a combination meter cover construction for covering a combination meter such as a speedometer and the like in an instrument panel for use in a vehicle such as an automobile.
2. Description of the Prior Art
While being covered by a meter cluster or an instrument cluster secured to a meter hood, a meter covering of an automobile is given a construction such that various meters provided therein may be readily inspected.
This conventional construction will now be described with reference to FIG. 1. A transparent cover 14 solidly secured to the forward portion of a meter case 10 is opposed to a meter cluster 18 mounted on a meter hood 16, for covering an analogue or digital type pointer 12. This meter cluster 18 is formed with an opening 20. Careful consideration in design and construction allows the pointer to be readily inspected due to the fact that the marginal portion of the transparent cover 14 is covered by the peripheral edge portion of this opening 20 so that unnecessary portions between the meter hood 16 and the pointer 12 cannot be seen by a driver.
Meter cluster 18 is formed separately from the meter case 10 and the meter cluster 18 is secured to the transparent cover 14 by a gap of 2 to 3 mm. With this arrangement, the pointer 12 is disposed in a secluded position as viewed from the driver, and further, the positional relationship in mounting between the meter cluster 18 and the transparent cover 14 is not definitely settled, whereby the positional relationship between the opening 20 of the meter cluster 18 and the pointer 12 is not determined so that the pointer 12 and its surroundings cannot be arranged in a clean-cut shape. Moreover, as the case may be, the meter cluster 18 and the transparent cover 14 may develop a mechanical interference, thus resulting in the generation of noises.